Petroleum heater



Aug. 1943- R. s. LYSTER, 2,326,473

PETROLEUM HEATER Filed Sept. 22, 1941 4 INVENTOR. 16 0) 5 ZYJ'TL'E BY (L b-Had ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 10, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PETROLEUM HEATER Roy S. Lyster, Lansdowne, Pa., assignor to Alcorn Combustion Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application September 22, 1941, Serial No. 411,891

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 122-356) My invention relates to heating systems, more particularly to petroleum heaters of the type used to heat petroleum or its derivatives to distillation temperatures or to higher temperatures to produce chemical changes therein such as by cracking, thermally or catalytically, by polymerization, or otherwise, and has for an object the provision of a reliable heater having great flexibility in the control ofthe application of heat to the petroleum.

For a complete understanding of my invention reference should be had to the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a heater embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on ,the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

In the form. of my invention shown on the drawing, the heater includes fire chambers H), l I, and I2, the chambers l and I2 being in end to end or back to back relation with respect to each other and separated from each other by fire chamber l I. Suitable fuel such as oil or gas is by a plurality of burners 14 introduced into associated mufiles l5 wherein partial combustion of the fuel occurs. The still-burning gases are by the muilles l5 directed horizontally across the fire chamber l0 towards the rear wall it. The several streams of gases after passage over and above a large portion 'of a bank of floor tubes i1 rise upwardly into convection section i8.

From a front or side wall i9 of the heater a roof portion 20 slopes upwardly so that a bank of roof tubes 2| which also slopes upwardly is to a large degree disposed without thev path of the streams of still burning gases.

The sloping roof 20 terminates in a more abruptly or steeply sloping section 22 which joins with a horizontal section 23 from which rises one wall 24 of a central convection section 25. A floor 2! is common to the fire chambers l0, H and I2.

The fire chamber l2 in the illustrated form of my invention is an exact duplicate of the fire chamber in and the same reference numerals have been applied to like parts together with the subscript a. The aforegoing description is equally applicable thereto and will not be repeated.

The rear wallsv l6 and Mia of fire chambers l0 and I2 form bridge walls and boundary walls for the intermediate orcentral fire chamber ll into which still burning gases are directed by burners 28 over and above floor tubes 29. The burners 28 and associated mufiles are located at the end result of the illustrated embodiment of my in-- vention. Thus three separately controlled radiant chambers and three convection sections are provided in a space normally used for two radiant fire chambers and one convection section.

The heater may be used for the heating of a very large volume of oil or petroleum per hour by suitable parallel connection of the several banks of tubes. For example, the tubes in the central convection section may be connected by headers (not shown) for flow of two streams therethrough, one passing through convection section lBa, roof tubes Zla. and. floor tubes Fla; and the other stream passing through convection section l8, roof tubes 2| and floor tubes 11. The two streams may then discharge into a flash drum (not shown) and vapors withdrawn therefrom may be superheated in floor tubes 29 connected in series or in parallel.

Where the treatment of the oil or petroleum requires exact control of the application of beat my invention is particularly useful. For example, as shown by the broken lines between the inlet and outlet, headers (not shown) may connect the tubes for passage of the charge serially through the tubes of the central convection 25 for the initial heating of the charge. Overheating in section 25 is efiectively avoided even though it is exposed to the radiant heat of me chamber ll. Each convection section l8 and |8a lowers the temperature of the convection gases passing therethrough and these gases of relatively low temperature join with the gases from the central fire chamber l I. Both streamsof convection gases serve to moderate or lower the temperature of the gases from chamber H and application of heat to the tubes in section 25 at excessively high rate is avoided. However, a relatively efficient transfer of heat is maintained in section 25 by reason of the large volume of gases passing therethrough, that is', all the gases from chambers H), H, and I2.

After its initial heating, the stream of oil may then pass through convktionsections Ma and l8, thence through roof tubes 2|, fioor tubes I], 29, and Ila, and after passage through roof tubes Ila it may be subjected to desired treatment in the refinery. In chamber III, the rate of heat application may be relatively moderate, in chamber H at high rate, and in chamber l2, either the high rate may be continued or moderate soaking" heat may be applied.

A heater of the type embodying my invention is of relatively low cost considering its great flexibility. The structural steel for supporting the tubes, the tube sheets, and walls is no more complicated than for a typical double-end fired heater ,as shown in Nash et a]. Patent No. 2,229,253 and yet two additional heating sections have beenadded. The triple function of walls l6 and I6a. does not impose upon them excessive demands which would tend to shorten their life. By varying the length of the tubes, the number of burners, and by selecting a sequence of oil flow to meet the heating requirements, a wide variety of heating needs may be adequately and satisfactorily met.

In the foregoing description and in certain of i the claims reference is made to fire chambers Ill and I2 as end to end or back to back. The walls I9 and I9a may be considered the front walls and the walls I6 and Ilia. the rear walls of the fire chambers ill and I2. The walls 30 and 3| would then be considered as the end walls of fire chamber l0 and the fire chambers l0 and I! would then be considered as backto back. It is also true the rear end or wall I6 is adjacent or next to rear or end wall Ilia and therefore the heaters are end to end, which latter plurality of tubes horizontally disposed between the roof and the upper portion of each of said rear walls to form individual convection sections for said pair of fire chambers, a bank of roof tubes and a bank of fioor tubes horizontally dis- .posed adjacent the roof and fioor of said pair of fire chambers and means disposed intermediate said roof and fioor tubesfor burning fuel in a plurality of streams within said pair of chambers, fuel burning means located at the'opposite end walls of said intermediate firechamber, a bank of floor tubes in said intermediate fire chamber horizontally disposed materiallybelow said last-named means, and means for connecting said tubes for passage of oil therethrough.

2. A heater having a fioor, a root and walls defining a pair of fire chambers disposed end to end and each including heat-refractory rear walls spaced one from the other to define between them an intermediate fire chamber, each of said rear walls terminating short of the'roof of the heater, a central convection section dis,- posed directly above said'intermediate fire chamber and in communication witlreach of said fire chambers, a plurality of horizontal tubes disposed adjacent the upper ends of each of said rear walls and forming convection sections in-- dividual to said pair of fire chambers, banks of radiant fluid-conducting heat-absorbing tubes in each of the pair of fire chambers horizontally disposed along the floor and roof thereof, a plu-' rality of burners for each one of the pair of fire term is to be read to cover and to define the chambers located between said roof and fioor tube banks, the gases and products of combus-.

tion from said burners passing across each said chamber and through said convection sections individual thereto, a bank of horizontal tubes disposed adjacent the 11001: of said intermediate fire chamber, burners for introducing burning rear walls and in mixture with the gases from said intermediate fire chamber passing through said central convection section.

' ROY S. LYSTER. 

